Every day, young people are using digital technologies to solve problems that they care about. They’re making cool stuff, learning how to bend technology to their will, and having lots of fun in the process. They are the next generation of inventors, entrepreneurs, and makers, and we can’t wait to show you what they can do!

Today we’re launching Pioneers, a series of challenges that will inspire young digital makers to develop new ideas and share them with the world.

UPDATE – The first challenge is now LIVE. Head here for more information https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCUzza7LJog Woohoo! Get together, get inspired, and get thinking. We’re looking for Pioneers to use technology to make something awesome. Get together in a team or on your own, post online to show us how you’re getting on, and then show the world your build when you’re done.

Young people aged between 12 and 15 will work together in teams, designing and building their idea to solve the series of challenges we set. Great makers always share what they’ve learned, so each team needs to make a short video about their idea to share with the community. We’ll create a showcase of all the submissions, then judge and highlight the ten best entries; these will win an amazing prize. There are so many different ways of being the best here: we’re looking for most creative, most ingenious, most brave, most bonkers, and so on.

You can find out lots more information about the programme at raspberrypi.org/pioneers, including projects to inspire you and help you get ready.

We’ll be announcing the first challenge in January 2017, initially for young makers in the UK. To be the first to hear about it, register your interest here.

Everyone can be part of the conversation and follow the progress of the teams on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube: keep an eye on #MakeYourIdeas on all those channels.

Thank you for this. I’ll share it with my niece. She is getting a Raspberry Pi for Christmas and this will be a great project for her and her friends to work on. I also plan on giving her the new project book.

As with the Pi itself, so with all it has generated, the UK is the generation point. Though not a maker myself since the term acquired its modern connotations, my Radio Ham (ZL2DEX) background gives me keen appreciation of the whole spectrum of Pi activities. Lament not, it’s a growing organism and early days yet.